Animal unit hygienic conditions influence mouse intestinal microbiota and contribute to T-cell-mediated colitis

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of chronic inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract with worldwide increasing incidence. Recent studies indicate that certain species of intestinal bacteria are strongly associated with IBD. Helper T lymphocytes are not only the key players in mediating host defense against a wide variety of pathogens but also contribute to pathogenesis of many immune-related diseases. Here, using the T cell transfer model of colitis, we observed that the mice maintained in a specific-pathogen free (SPF) unit after receiving naïve CD4+ T cells developed mild disease. The same mice developed different degrees of disease when they were maintained in a conventional animal facility (non-SPF), where some pathogens were detected during routine health monitoring. Consistently, increased circulating inflammatory cytokines as well as Th1 and Th17 cells were detected in mice housed in non-SPF units. 16S rRNA sequencing of feces samples enabled us to identify changes in the microbiota composition of mice kept in different facilities. Our data indicate that environmental factors influence gut microbiota composition of mice, leading to development of colitis in a T-cell-dependent manner. In conclusion, changes in environmental conditions and microbial status of experimental animals appear to contribute to progression of colitis.

The host genotype actively shapes its microbiome across generations in laboratory mice

“…This may be due to increased availability of niche energy source Muc-2 in B6J, since A. muciniphila has the ability to degrade Muc-2 O-glycans in vitro ( Png et al 2010 ). A. muciniphila is an important pathobiont influencing numerous animal experimental phenotypes and accounts for 1-5% of the gut microbial community in healthy human adults, being a marker of a healthy microbiome and increasing the integrity of the intestinal barrier in both humans and mice ( Cázares-Olivera et al 2022 ). There are obvious relationships between A. muciniphila and chronic inflammatory metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, and IBD ( Plovier et al 2017 ; Seregin et al 2017 ; Zhang et al 2019 ).…”

A Murine Model of Maternal Micronutrient Deficiencies and Gut Inflammatory Host-microbe Interactions in the Offspring

“…Microbial shifts during animal transportation and the diverse facility conditions found at various institutes and universities may also impact gut microbiota composition. 81 , 82 Subsequently, female C57Bl/6J mice were orally administered Enterobacteriaceae (5 × 10 8 CFU/100 uL; one gavage 7 days prior to mating) isolated from female C57Bl/6N fecal pellets via plating onto McConkey agar. Mice were given ad libitum access to the diet throughout the experiment.…”